Once again, members of Te Pāti Māori have proven that following the most basic parliamentary rules is not exactly their strong suit. Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer has failed to properly declare her property interests, flouting Parliament’s transparency rules.
Since entering Parliament in 2020, Packer has repeatedly declared only a single property. Investigations revealed she owns at least two more: a residential property being developed in Hāwera and a vacant section in Pātea. Shockingly, Packer did not update her register until after the MSM contacted her about the discrepancies and even then, it was two days later. For years, the Pātea section has been in her possession; the Hāwera property was purchased as recently as 2024. For all that time, the public was left in the dark.
When approached, Packer’s response was to dodge questions, citing attendance at a tangi. That may explain her physical absence, but it does nothing to excuse the repeated failures to meet parliamentary obligations. Weeks of queries went unanswered, leaving only silence from her and the wider Te Pāti Māori camp. Transparency, it seems, is optional if you are a Māori Party MP.
Contrast this with MPs from other parties. National’s Gerry Brownlee miscounted dual titles and corrected the register promptly. NZ First’s Mark Patterson, Labour’s Jo Luxton, Damien O’Connor, and Ayesha Verrall all responded to queries, clarifying or updating their declarations. Errors happened, yes, but they were addressed with accountability. Not so with Packer.
Parliamentary rules are clear. MPs must declare “the location of real property in which the member has a legal interest” and describe its nature. Ignoring these rules undermines public trust and calls into question whether Te Pāti Māori takes its legal obligations seriously or at all.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
When approached, Packer’s response was to dodge questions, citing attendance at a tangi. That may explain her physical absence, but it does nothing to excuse the repeated failures to meet parliamentary obligations. Weeks of queries went unanswered, leaving only silence from her and the wider Te Pāti Māori camp. Transparency, it seems, is optional if you are a Māori Party MP.
Contrast this with MPs from other parties. National’s Gerry Brownlee miscounted dual titles and corrected the register promptly. NZ First’s Mark Patterson, Labour’s Jo Luxton, Damien O’Connor, and Ayesha Verrall all responded to queries, clarifying or updating their declarations. Errors happened, yes, but they were addressed with accountability. Not so with Packer.
Parliamentary rules are clear. MPs must declare “the location of real property in which the member has a legal interest” and describe its nature. Ignoring these rules undermines public trust and calls into question whether Te Pāti Māori takes its legal obligations seriously or at all.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
7 comments:
I was hopeful Luxon would bring a high moral and ethical standard to nzs increasingly corrupt parliament. Corruption which scaled new heights under the h clark/ardern reign.
NZ taxpayers deseve:
- a forensic audit of all spending during the ardern prime ministership. Peeni Henares wife, Nanaia Mahutas family, the waiparera trust, owners of the consulting firms working on labour's ghost projects, and owners of road cone supply companies are good places to start.
- an investigation into Pfizer vaccine purchases and any subsequent Pfizer payments to PMs and their advisors.
- an investigation into Clark's and Arderns mysterious wealth.
- an nvestigation into Mps gaining benefit from the NZ electricity, banking, insurance, and supermarket price colluding cartels.
Then... prosecutions, prosecutions, and more prosecutions.
Come on Mr Luxon, Mr Bishop, Mr brown, and Mrs Stanford....
If you don't address the rot, it will continue to spread, you will be responsible for declining living standatds for 5 million people.
If the corruption isn't addressed, you leave the lingering suspicion that you're involved!
Only a racist would question a Maori, let alone a female Maori. Even more so if you expect them to follow some colonialist rule.
Dear CXH. Is this "why" Ngai Tahu operate as a "Charitable Trust" for all their business operations managed by Chris Finlayson (former MP National & Attorney General) - who is the Legal Eagle for same - so that -
1. - we can not question them as it would be "racist'
2. - they can avoid paying Tax - for which the NZ IRS has pursued them for same.
Yup, understand your comment completely - which is irrelevant.
Here in NZ - The Bill of Rights "allows" us to pursue people with questions - either in the verbal context or as a written statement - commonly known as Free speech.
What a corrupt little shithole of a country we have become.
Quite the opposite of what we were not so long ago.
Kiwi extinct.
Greed.
Follow the money.
I saw the headlines yesterday about Ms Ngawera-Packer’s failure to declare her properties. The fact that 5 other MPs were cited for the same offence was not highlighted. Hard to avoid the conclusion that some sections of the media are going after Te Pati Maori.
My experience is that over the past 50yrs or more I have seen Maori being given leeway for missing deadlines and set standards/rules and the like. This has just helped reinforce their thinking that the rules don't really or fully apply to them. I have witnessed courts and regulators accepting late submissions form Maori organisations, and even recently saw that the Minister for Maori affairs response to a Fast Track Act project was late - but of course accepted. That's just how it works in NZ. Next time you're overseas try and turn up late for a flight and act with belligerent indifference to others and see what happens.
By reporting Packer and not reminding readers of the others, for example Bates, the reports i have seen help Packer by reinforcing her comment that only Maori are not allowed to make mistakes. The victim line.
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